New orleans, louisiana

We are pleased to announce that the 11th Maritime Heritage Conference and the 45th Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships will come together for an information-packed 4-day joint conference encompassing a broad array of topics. The Maritime Heritage Conference was last held in 2014, and is unique in bringing together all elements of the maritime heritage community to discuss topics of common interest. Tall Ships America’s Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships is held annually and Known for its high “take away value”, networking opportunities and camaraderie .You are invited to join with us and share an exploration of maritime heritage while charting the course for the future.

To encourage members to attend the conference, several organizations have moved their annual meetings to take place during the conference including:

55th Annual Meeting of the National Maritime Historical Society

82nd Annual Meeting of the Steamship Historical Socirty of America

The Theme for the conference is Our Maritime Communities-Stronger Together. The Conference will offer a combination of focus sessions, plenary sessions, forums and Maritime Heritage paper presentations encompassing a broad array of topics including:

Tall Ships America's Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships gathers hundreds of ships' masters, crewmembers, program administrators, educators, environmentalists, port representatives, festival managers and more for an information-packed three day conference. Topics include vessel operations, regulatory issues, management, educational programming, and safety at sea, as well as media relations, marketing, funding, communications, and port event organization. The Tall Ships America Annual Conference on Sail Training and Tall Ships is both fun and informative.

The Safety Forum (Thursday, February 15) expands the dialogue among professional mariners by presenting case studies of actual incidents at sea, discussing emerging technologies, and sharing “best practices” so as to constantly insure a high level of safety and professionalism in the industry. Professionals engaged in sail training, sea education, vessel operations, and tall ship events participate in this annual symposium.

The Administrators Forum (Thursday, February 15) is designed to address organizational sustainability. The forum covers a wide variety of topics including, establishing successful partnerships with communities and other like-minded organizations,marketing, fundraising, development and more. The Administrators Forum is for those responsible for the marketing, development, sustainability and community outreach of their organization.

The Maritime Heritage Conference is held every three or four years. Over 400 individuals attended the 2014 conference held in Norfolk, Virginia. Previous MHC Conference participants have included:National Maritime Alliance, Tall Ships America, National Maritime Historical Society, American Lighthouse Council, Council of American Maritime Museums, Historic Naval Ships Assn, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, National Maritime Historical Society, Museum Small Craft Assn, National Park Service, Naval Historical Foundation, Naval History and Heritage Command, North American Society for Oceanic History, Nautical Research Guild, U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Assn, U.S. Lighthouse Society, National Lighthouse Foundation, Steamship Historical Societyof America, Teaching with Small Boats Alliance, Traditional Small Craft Assn, Museum Small Craft Assn, Assn. for Great Lakes Maritime History, EMR.

Situated in the heart of the French Quarter, this downtown hotel is within walking distance to premier attractions, including Jackson Square, Audubon Aquarium of the Americas and the world-famous Bourbon Street.